Sleep Therapy
by likecominghome
Summary: The first time Lydia ends up Stiles's bed, it's out of necessity. The second time, it's out of convenience. The times after that...well, all she knows is she can't seem to stop herself from knocking on his door. Stydia.


Of course.

This was fucking perfect.

She would come back to her dorm room after the longest, most exhausting day of her week to find a scarf tied around the doorknob.

Honestly, when her roommate had first brought up the idea, she had thought it was a bit ridiculous. Placing markers on the door to inform your roommate that you're in the middle of an intimate moment seemed so…cliché.

But seeing as she'd rather not walk in to see limbs flying everywhere, she agreed. Under normal circumstances, she would probably be happy for Jamie, the girl she'd been living with the past six weeks, but today she was just tired. All Lydia wanted in the world was to curl up in bed with a bowl of microwavable mac and cheese and watch Netflix on her laptop until she passed out. Considering she didn't have any classes the next day, this would have been an ideal way to spend the rest of the night.

Instead, she sighed heavily and shot the leopard printed scarf an irritated glare and she turned and walked back down the hallway. The lounge on this floor of her dorm was empty as people were either already asleep or out participating in Thirsty Thursday.

She set her book bag down on the couch beside as she sat and dug out her phone. On instinct, she searched through her phone contacts and found Jamie's number and sent a quick message.

_I saw the scarf on the door. Are you going to be much longer?_

As soon as she hit send she realized it was an idiotic idea. Why would Jamie answer? She didn't know many people who stopped to take text breaks in the middle of sex. To her surprise, however, she received a reply almost immediately.

Her initial reaction was hopeful. Maybe things weren't going well and she'd be allowed to return to her room and the comfort of her blankets. But her dreams were dashed as soon as she read the message. Apparently they were just taking a break before starting their next round.

_It might be a while. Do you mind finding somewhere else to crash?_

Of course she minded. But she figured it was good that someone was getting some action, so she'd let Jamie have her fun.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Lydia replied to her roommate's text before scrolling through her contacts again, searching for someone who might have a spare couch.

Honestly, she knew very few people on campus at the moment. School had barely started and she didn't think she was good enough friends with any of the people in the dorm or in her classes to ask to spend the night in their room. There was only one person she was close enough with to ask that kind of favor…

She held in her breath as she found his number in her phone, her thumb hesitantly hovering above the touch screen, unsure if this was really a good idea. Giving in, she pressed the call button only to have her hesitance be unnecessary when he didn't even pick up.

On to Plan B: she knew where he lived. Maybe if she showed up in his doorway, he'd be less inclined to turn her away.

Grabbing her bag, she walked out her dorm and made her way to the building he'd showed her the first week of school, catching the front door as someone else entered to avoid being locked out. Once inside, she climbed the stairs to the third floor and walked to the end of the hall.

Along with the name of his roommate, his proper name was written on a sign, but had been scratched out with marker and replaced with scribbled writing the name he preferred to be called.

Stiles.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked sharply on the door, which swung open a few moments later to reveal a tall brunette with ridiculously deep brown eyes.

"Lydia," he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Stiles," she said softly. "Can I come in?"

Blinking rapidly, he nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to enter. His door room was small and set up much like hers, with beds towards the back and desks towards the front with closets on the sides. The bathroom was apparently a shared one down the hallway. Although both sides of the room were equally messy, one side looked as though the occupant hadn't been around for a couple hours, while what was presumably Stiles's desk had books spread across the desk as though he had been studying.

"Everything alright?" he asked as he shut the door.

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and winced slightly. "Not exactly. I need to ask you a favor."

He shrugged and stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Shoot."

Her lips parted and she hesitated as she glanced towards the desk. "I'm sorry, were you busy?"

He followed her gaze and shook his head. "I was studying for a history test I have next week. It's alright, though. I got the whole weekend. What's up?"

Nodding slowly, she finally asked her favor. "I was wondering if I could crash here tonight."

The rate at which his eyebrows sprung to the top of his forehead was extremely amusing. His next words came out as stutters as he pulled one hand from his pocket and gestured wildly with it. "Um, yeah, sure, of course. That would be, what I mean is, yeah, that's fine."

Lydia was extremely observant. So of course, she knew how Stiles felt about her. His nervousness in her presence at the beginning of high school combined with the fact that he'd angrily declared his feelings for her at their sophomore winter formal had made it pretty obvious that he would be perfectly fine with taking their relationship past platonic.

At first, she'd ignored him entirely. But as the years wore on, they became friends and his previous skittish behavior in her presence calmed until it was as though those feelings had disappeared entirely. They could have entirely normal conversations now and she found Stiles fascinating to talk to. Plus, it was nice to do so without worrying that he would read into everything she said.

Still, she got some pleasure from knowing she could still make his heart race.

"Thanks," she whispered gratefully. "Your roommate won't mind?"

It was as though Stiles just realized he lived with another person. He blinked and shook his head. "I don't know. He's at the Beta party. Probably won't be back for a while. If he comes back at all."

"Ok," she nodded once.

There was an awkward silence as she set down her book bag on his desk chair and read the posters that decorated his walls.

"Do you need clothes?"

She turned to look at him and nodded slowly.

He hurried over to the dresser beside the closet and pulled out a t-shirt and some pajama pants and tossed them to her. "There you go. The bathroom's down the hall."

She shot him a grateful smile and grabbed the spare toothbrush she always kept in her bag.

He simultaneously handed her his toothpaste from the basket sitting on top of his dresser and sent her on her way.

After she washed off her makeup and pulled her hair out if its loose French braid and changed into Stiles's clothes, she inspected herself in the mirror. She wasn't unused to wearing a man's clothing. In fact, she generally liked the way the looser fit draped over her petite frame.

But the fact that she was wearing Stiles's clothing was just strange. Mostly because she found them extremely comfortable, almost as though she'd been wearing them for ages.

Shaking her head, she grabbed her things and headed back to Stiles's room. He had propped the door open and was in the midst of packing his backpack full of notebooks when she entered.

"You can take the bed," he cleared his throat as he zipped up his backpack. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Don't be silly," she replied automatically. She wasn't expecting that response either, but she did think it was ridiculous to make him sleep on the rather disgusting looking floor. "We can share."

His eyebrows shot up. "Lydia, it's a twin sized bed. We'll be squished."

She was surprised he had a problem with that idea. Crossing her arms over her chest she fixed him with a direct stare. "I'm not letting you sleep on the floor."

"Fine," his voiced cracked a little as he ran a hand through his hair, "I'm gonna go change and get ready for bed. Do you need me to set the alarm for you?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't have class tomorrow."

He nodded. "I do, so I'll probably be gone when you wake up."

"Alright."

There was another awkward silence.

He scratched the back of his head and then pointed towards the door. "I'll be right back. You can go ahead and get into bed. I'll turn off the light."

Nodding, she lay her clothes on top of her book bag and climbed into the bed. The light turned off as she shifted to her side and faced the wall. A few seconds later, she heard the door open and close.

She lay in the dark for what seemed like an hour, listening to the sound of people passing in the hallway before the door opened and closed once more. She could sense Stiles wasn't really sure what to do; it took his a few minutes before he climbed into the bed beside her. He lay on his side as well and about thirty seconds of tense silence passed before she spoke.

"Hey, Stiles?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you keep your hands to yourself."

Although she wasn't facing him, she could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"Absolutely."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lydia."

And that was the first of many nights she spent in Stiles's bed.

…

The second time it happened, she was drunk.

Not just tipsy; she was full on plastered.

She had gone to a mixer for Jamie's sorority, where the alcohol was flowing freely. It was extremely enjoyable. She'd made out with a hot guy on the dance floor and had drinks bought for her, but she wasn't really in the mood for anything more physical than that, so she told him she'd had a good time and bid him farewell.

On her way back to her room, she received a text from Jamie saying it was occupied.

She probably could have waited an hour, but she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to lie down, so she made her way to a different dorm and that's how she ended up knocking on his door for the second time in two weeks.

He looked just as surprised as the first time. Probably because, like her, expected this to be a one time thing.

"Hey, Lydia," he said warily, opening the door wider to let her in. "What's up?"

She smiled sleepily and stepped inside, her senses a little fuzzy. However, she did startle slightly when she noticed someone else in the room. He was stocky and muscular, with dark hair that swept across his forehead and a small silver ring piercing his bottom lip.

"Hello," she blinked.

"Hi?" the stranger's stare went from questioning to dark and wicked within seconds as his eyes slowly trailed up the length of her body. "Who are you?"

She shot him a disgusted glare. "Not interested." Then she turned to Stiles. "I need a favor."

Stiles looked extremely amused by Lydia's rejection of the stranger and smiled widely. "Yeah, what's that?"

"I need to stay the night again," she said matter of factly.

"Again?" the stranger cut in before grinning at Stiles like a proud parent. "Damn, Stilinksi. And here I was thinking you were a hermit or something."

"Shut up, Harley," Stiles rolled his eyes. "We're friends and she needed a place to crash when she got sexiled."

Stiles looked at her again. "That's Harley, by the way. He's my roommate."

"Charmed," Lydia said, though her tone suggested otherwise. "So, it's cool if I stay?"

"Yeah, of course," Stiles replied quickly. "Need clothes again?"

She nodded and was handed the same set of sleep attire she'd received the first time.

They slept in the same bed again, facing opposite sides of the bed and making sure none of their body parts touched. But this time, when Lydia woke in the middle of the night to find that Stiles had turned and flung his arm over her waist, she didn't move it; she just smiled and went back to sleep.

…

The third time he wasn't even surprised.

A little agitated at having been woken up at two in the morning, but not surprised.

She wasn't even sure why she came here. She'd had a nightmare and needed comfort and her first thought was Stiles. Because Stiles wouldn't judge her. Stiles would understand.

Despite the fact that going to him for comfort in the middle of the night seemed a tad melodramatic, but luckily for her, Stiles was too tired to question her presence, so he waved her in and they climbed into bed.

His instinct was to turn away like he had done the past two times they'd been in this position. But when she thought about comfort, she thought about physically being held, so she grabbed his arm and placed it around her waist as she turned towards the wall.

She heard him inhale sharply as she closed her eyes and she kept his arm securely fastened in its position. As she fell asleep, she relished in the warmth of his body pressed against hers and his arm keeping her safe and she decided they were feelings she could definitely get used to.

…

At some point, she ran out of excuses. She could tell he didn't believe that she'd lost her key or that her roommate was having that much sex.

It was getting ridiculous, really. She'd slept in his bed four nights a week for the past two months. Her visits were becoming so regular that he'd leave his door slightly ajar and have clothes waiting for her in case she needed them. Even Harley had stopped making unsubtle comments about it and started ignoring her entirely, as though she had always been there anyway.

She knew he probably thought she was insane or desperate, but the truth was that she couldn't stay away. On the few nights that she actually did sleep in her own bed, she tossed and turned and ended up extremely cranky in the morning. She'd gotten so used to the warmth of his body and the comfort of his arms, that sleeping without him seemed almost impossible.

So when she pushed open the door of his dorm room one Friday night near the end of the semester, she wasn't surprised to see a set of his folded clothes placed on the end of his bed for her.

"Hey," he greeted, looking up from where he sat leaning up against his headboard with his laptop perched on top of his crossed legs. "Good day?"

Conversation had become typical of their nights together as well. Which was strange and refreshing because she wasn't used to talking much with the guys she slept with. But then again, she usually actually had sex with the guys she shared beds with as well.

She shrugged and set down the small bag of toiletries she had brought. She probably could have changed into her own night clothes, but Stiles's clothes provided her with a sense of security that her own lacked.

"It was alright," she replied. "I got a lot of studying done. Yours?"

"Long," he admitted, shutting his laptop and holding it to his chest as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "You didn't go to the Delta Chi party?"

She vaguely remembered Jamie mentioning that's where she was headed tonight. One last party to blow off steam before hitting the books for finals.

Lydia shook her head. "Wasn't in the mood. Is that where Harley is?"

When she'd entered she'd noticed that the non Stiles side of the room looked rather untouched.

Stiles shook his head as he walked over to set his laptop down on his desk. "He went home for the weekend. His sister's wedding or something."

"Oh," she said quietly, feeling her heart rate spike for some unknown reason. Apparently the thought of it being just her and Stiles alone in his room for two whole days did strange things to her ability to breathe.

She was nervous, she realized. As that conclusion washed over her, she wondered why it was true. It wasn't as though anything was going to happen between them; when she spent nights in his bed they literally just slept. The occasional cuddle and pillow talk might be thrown in, but it's not like that was going to suddenly advance to sex just because they would be alone for two days.

"Hey, that's actually great," he said bright, causing her to return her attention to him, "It means you'll get a bed to yourself. I'll take Harley's bed, though, because I'm not entirely sure what kind of unmentionables are between those sheets and I don't want to expose you to that."

She blinked, wondering why she was racking her brain for reasons they should sleep together.

"That's disgusting," she finally came up with, "Are you sure?"

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure your limbs could use a break from being squished against me."

She chewed on her bottom lip to keep from telling him that there wasn't a point to her being here if she wasn't sleeping in his arms. That would lead them down a conversation path she wasn't ready to travel just yet.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "That's fine."

He nodded and they began their pre bed preparations. As they climbed beneath covers on opposite sides of the room, she noted that despite the small size of the bed, it felt extremely cold and empty.

As she seemed to do when she wasn't wrapped in Stiles's arms, she slept fitfully until she woke up breathing heavily and unable to fall back asleep. She turned on her side and looked over to where Stiles lay. His back was turned to her, but he seemed to be fast asleep.

This was absolutely ridiculous.

She'd gotten so accustomed to his presence that her body physically could not fade into sleep unless she could feel his heartbeat.

Utterly ridiculous.

Sighing, she stared at the ceiling and twisted her fingers as she made a decision. She needed to remedy this situation.

"Stiles," she whispered loudly.

He didn't stir.

"Stiles." A little louder this time.

Still nothing.

"Stiles!"

He finally moved, turning to face her as his eyes slowly opened. "Yeah?"

"I'm having a bad dream," she lowered her voice back down to a whisper. "Can you come lay with me?"

He nodded groggily and stumbled out of bed. She threw back the covers to let him in and he turned on his side, expecting her to turn her back so they could spoon like they normally did. Instead, she lay her head on his chest and her arm across his stomach.

He raised his head to glance down at her. "Are you alright?"

"I am now," she whispered.

Without looking, she could tell he smiled and she did the same against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against the side of his body. He smelled like spicy wood, a scent that haunted her in her dreams because it made her feel warm and safe, as though she was completely at home.

"What was your dream about?"

She stiffened slightly, wondering if she should make something up. In the end, the truth won out because she knew there would never be a right time to have this conversation, so it might as well be now.

"I lied," she admitted. "I didn't have one."

"Oh?"

She tilted her chin to look up and see his eyebrows raised in surprise. "I just wanted you to come to this bed."

"Why?" he asked, his voice cracking. She could feel his heart racing beneath her fingertips.

"Because I can't sleep unless you're there," she whispered, her heart rate elevating to match his.

His chin tilted down, his gaze dropping to her lips and causing her breathing to hitch. "Me neither."

It happened at an achingly slow pace. His chin lowered as hers raised and when their lips finally touched, she felt as though she had been waiting a lifetime for that very moment. Maybe it was because she knew how much it meant to him. That, combined with her realization that he meant a hell of a lot to her as well was enough to make the kiss feel as though they were at the beginning of something miraculous.

They kissed slow and tender and sweet. He cupped her cheek with his palm and held her as though he was afraid if he let go he would wake up to find it was all a dream. She felt completely cherished, an entirely new experience for her that she decided she wanted to repeat many times, the first of which would hopefully be within the next few hours.

When the pulled apart, they stared at each other, silent and breathless and wondering how this could possibly be real.

"So," he said quietly, his thumb stroking her cheekbone gently. "I guess we'll have to sleep together on a regular basis, huh?"

"I guess so," she replied, leaning up to kiss him again because she couldn't get enough of the feeling. "Who knows, Stiles," she whispered against his lips, "Someday we might do more than just sleep."


End file.
